New Packaging Machinery A Win For Food Outlets

Packaging is everywhere, and none more so now than in the food industry.

Packaging machinery used to be complicated to use and needed a lot space hence it was manufactured for wholesalers only. Of course this is no longer the case in fact, it is so ingrained in our retail culture that we don’t really think about it very much anymore beyond which bin it should go in once it has been used. This is a shame because, despite the recent negative press, packaging has a serious job to perform.

Longer Shelf Life

Go and have a look in your fridge – how much fresh food is there in here that would have already perished if it weren’t for the wrapping it came in? The answer is most of it.

Packaging isn’t just there to give you nutritional and health information such as sell-by dates and calorie content; it is also there to act as a passive preservative that means you can safely eat it for a much longer period than if it wasn’t well sealed.

Using packaging like this isn’t just good for consumers; packaging also allows businesses to thrive.

The right packaging can extend the shelf life of a product by a significant amount of time (think about that tin of beans that is yet to expire despite sitting covered in dust at the back of the cupboard for the last few years!).

In particular, fresh products last longer, giving customers more time to purchase and creating a much more competitive price margin.

Rise Up The Boutique Food Retailers

Packaging technology has been around for a long time but recent tech advances mean that now even small boutique food retailers can use it.

Instead of relying on large factories to produce fresh foods, home businesses are now able to create a more sustainable business model using clever packaging designs and technologies. For example, a baker could now bake a cake a day or two ahead, package it and deliver, still fresh, to the customer later on.

While shelf life might be the most important thing for the food inside, presentation is another factor that is significant for consumers.

We are all naturally curious about what we eat and checking to see whether something looks appetizing before purchasing is an instinctive behaviour. We want visual assurance that what is in the box is what we expect and nothing more.

Shrink wrapping is particularly great for this as it is one of the best ways to add valuable days to a used-by date as well as show off a particular food or product.

Whether the shrink wrap is used to expose the whole item or shrouded in cardboard with a handy peephole, shrink wrapping also gives the consumer a feel for the texture of a product.

Bright Future For Small Food Outlets

For small businesses, getting the packaging right is crucial. Being able to pack on site is the best way to minimize waiting times and maximize shelf life.

C Pack Packaging Machinery have been in the business of selling new and used packaging machinery for years and they say their client base has broadened a lot in recent times. Their client base used to be large manufacturers but tech advancement has allowed smaller retailers to create new service lines like take out freshly cooked roast dinners due to the use of the new technology. As a business, C Pack Limited say they’ve learnt a thing or two about dealing the retail sector and it’s great for their business and of course the food outlets.

As packaging technology has developed, customization has become possible meaning that small businesses can get exactly what they need from the tech. and they can accomodate the machinery in their premises.

Similarly, simplifying the technology to make it more user-friendly has allowed smaller businesses with non-specialist staff to get in on the market.

Summary

Consumers might not think too much about packaging but that is usually because it is doing its job so well. And with further advances in technology, the future of food production is looking bright. Startup businesses in freshly cooked or made food have a bright future too so here is yet another example of how advances in technology are working for us!